Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Serbia
Serbia: Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of was 29,665 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Serbia, 1969–2025
Source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Analysis
Serbia recorded 29,665 for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in 2025.
The figure is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Serbia peaked at 327,582 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 42, in 1987.
Serbia ranks 42nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Serbia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 130 | — |
| 1970 | 150 | +15.4% |
| 1971 | 140 | -6.7% |
| 1972 | 130 | -7.1% |
| 1973 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 120 | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 120 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 4,200 | +3400.0% |
| 1980 | 270 | -93.6% |
| 1981 | 214 | -20.7% |
| 1982 | 177 | -17.3% |
| 1983 | 157 | -11.3% |
| 1984 | 91 | -42.0% |
| 1985 | 91 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 72 | -20.9% |
| 1987 | 42 | -41.7% |
| 1988 | 99 | +135.7% |
| 1989 | 96 | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 1,745 | +1717.7% |
| 1991 | 45,826 | +2526.1% |
| 1992 | 90,081 | +96.6% |
| 1993 | 58,255 | -35.3% |
| 1994 | 54,975 | -5.6% |
| 1995 | 86,116 | +56.6% |
| 1996 | 103,963 | +20.7% |
| 1997 | 106,649 | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 115,289 | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 172,506 | +49.6% |
| 2000 | 146,749 | -14.9% |
| 2001 | 144,231 | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 327,582 | +127.1% |
| 2003 | 296,627 | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 237,015 | -20.1% |
| 2005 | 189,985 | -19.8% |
| 2006 | 174,022 | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 165,636 | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 185,930 | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 195,625 | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 183,284 | -6.3% |
| 2011 | 161,664 | -11.8% |
| 2012 | 158,903 | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 48,725 | -69.3% |
| 2014 | 45,730 | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 38,620 | -15.5% |
| 2016 | 36,928 | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 33,246 | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 32,368 | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 31,251 | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 29,976 | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 31,735 | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 30,677 | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 29,807 | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 31,438 | +5.5% |
| 2025 | 29,665 | -5.6% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's 29,665 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2,642, 11.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Serbia's 29,665 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 517, 57.4× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of in Serbia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | +3400.0% | 120 | 4,200 |
| 1991 | +2526.1% | 1,745 | 45,826 |
| 1990 | +1717.7% | 96 | 1,745 |
| 1988 | +135.7% | 42 | 99 |
| 2002 | +127.1% | 144,231 | 327,582 |
| 1992 | +96.6% | 45,826 | 90,081 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 130 | 130 | 130 | 1 |
| 1970s | 712.86 | 120 | 4,200 | 7 |
| 1980s | 130.9 | 42 | 270 | 10 |
| 1990s | 83,540 | 1,745 | 172,506 | 10 |
| 2000s | 206,340 | 144,231 | 327,582 | 10 |
| 2010s | 77,072 | 31,251 | 183,284 | 10 |
| 2020s | 30,550 | 29,665 | 31,735 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
- 39 Guatemala 34,994 compare
- 40 Côte d'Ivoire 32,506 compare
- 41 Bangladesh 31,862 compare
- 43 Cuba 29,395 compare
- 44 Bosnia and Herzegovina 24,653 compare
- 45 Egypt 23,763 compare
More social development data for Serbia
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 40,863 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0045 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 29,665 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0062 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 13.29 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Serbia?
- Refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of in Serbia was 29,665 in 2025, according to Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- What is the highest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 327,582 in 2002.
- What is the lowest refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was 42 in 1987.
- How does Serbia rank for refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of?
- Serbia ranks 42nd out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is refugees under the mandate of the unhcr by country or territory of rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Serbia data come from?
- The figures come from Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published as part of Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Refugees under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) include individuals recognized under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, the refugee definition contained in the 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees as incorporated into national laws, those recognized in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, individuals granted complementary forms of protection, and those enjoying temporary protection. The refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation, which is a category that is descriptive in nature and includes groups of people who are outside their country or territory of origin and who face protection risks similar to those of refugees, but for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. Refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Palestine Refugees, are not typically included in the statistics on refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the UNHCR.